Limits of stability are also assessed which show how far patients can reach from their bodies without falling.

Stability can be improved through the system’s maze and random control components where patients tilt their bodies to correspond to targets on the touch screen.

Weak areas are targeted which, for stroke victims, may mean regaining their balance and reducing their dependence on a walker or wheelchair.

“We would work on balancing the left side so they’d learn how to feed themselves with their left hand,” Daup explained.

People today live longer which puts them at higher risk for a fall or joint replacement surgery, he said, noting that Gothenburg’s aging population are the patients Daup and other therapists see the most.

“People typically become less active and quit doing things as they age,” he said. “It is inactivity that can put people at a higher risk of falling.”

Those who stay active decrease their chance of falling, Daup said.

Sports & Medical Rehabilitation Center offers initial fall risk screenings at no cost. Appointments can be made by calling 537-4023.

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